The Critical Currents

Why Pray?

An Exploration of the Panacea for the Ills of the Contemporary World

Apr 4 • Aslan Bilimer

11

3

March 2026

Review of The Forever War: Again?

Iran is not yet Iraq. The Forever War illustrates why we should ensure it doesn’t become another.

Mar 28 • Aslan Bilimer

11

2

January 2026

The Last Ayatollah: The Future of the Iranian Regime

Image courtesy of The Economist

Jan 10 • Aslan Bilimer

8

1

1

December 2025

On the Collection of Art: Leonard Lauder & the Collector

“My role is not to posess, it is to conserve.” — Leonard A.

Dec 15, 2025 • Aslan Bilimer

6

1

October 2025

The Renaissance Man: The Case for a Liberal Arts Education

And why we need one more than ever before

Oct 31, 2025 • Aslan Bilimer

9

1

September 2025

A New Gilded Age: The American Project is in Peril

And neither Republicans nor Democrats seem to Care

Sep 17, 2025 • Aslan Bilimer

8

Strongman Diplomacy: Donald Trump and the Changing World Order

An isolationist America is bad news for Americans and the Free World

Sep 1, 2025 • Aslan Bilimer

9

1

4

August 2025

Covert Manipulation: Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy

The Overlooked Existential Threat Posed by Text based LLMs

Aug 17, 2025 • Aslan Bilimer

10

1

3

Divine Protection: Talismanic Shirts Worn by the Ottoman Sultans

An exploration and review of the shirts fitted with holy inscriptions on display at the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul

Aug 10, 2025 • Aslan Bilimer

7

1

1

Abundance: The Future of the American Left

Reflection on Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson

Aug 1, 2025 • Aslan Bilimer

8

2

4

July 2025

Christian Remnants: The Kariye Mosque (Chora Church) in Istanbul

From Byzantine Christian Monastery to Ottoman Mosque

Jul 27, 2025 • Aslan Bilimer

5

2

A Sufi Reflection on Artistic Expression

Orhan Pamuk's Nobel Prize Winning Novel: My Name is Red

Jul 21, 2025 • Aslan Bilimer

4

3